7 Expensive eCommerce Startup Myths You’ve Always Believed as “Facts”

As one of the leading eCommerce website development teams in the Philippines, we always need seed funding to expand our humble business.

However, we constantly hear stories of how the lack of finance might hinder your company from reaching its full potential. Here are seven myths entrepreneurs and startups sometimes believe that they should stop believing in as they may do more harm than help.

Myth #1: Getting an eCommerce website is free. 

Truth: Getting your eCommerce website is not free at all. You have to pay for the domain, hosting and other technical needs to be able to run an online business.

Here is the deal — as it serves as your online storefront, your eCommerce website is one of your most valuable assets. But more importantly, if it doesn’t work, you’re out of business.

Additionally, as we mentioned earlier, getting an eCommerce website isn’t free (especially if you want a visually appealing page to help draw customers in). Other factors need to be taken into consideration.

Factors such as the website’s design, features, and performance go a long way in determining its expense. Cheap eCommerce websites are often associated with the cheap business. So, in essence, getting an eCommerce website is very much free as it is relative to your budget and your business needs. 

Myth #2: An attractive eCommerce website means it works best.

Truth: You might have the most attractive and modern-looking website in town, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will work best for you. It all boils down to the purpose of your online store.

A newly-established office supplier decided to use an eCommerce website to expand its business. However, the lack of technical knowledge and required skills caused delays in getting the site functional on time. Then, the attempt at using a hosted e-commerce website to get the business off the ground resulted in a store that was not visually appealing. More importantly, since it was not their core expertise, it did little to support their business.

Businesses often take advantage of cheap eCommerce websites to sell their products because they are suitable for quick sales on impulse buys. However, they do not know how to effectively and efficiently run their store.

If you sell products, you will have to pay more for transaction and storage expenses. A major reason why eCommerce websites are expensive is because of the security and safety measures you have to put in place. After all, your customer will trust that their data and financial information is safe with your business.

Select the right hosting provider to ensure that your eCommerce website is secure and durable. Most of the time, you need to pay extra to get a quality web hosting service. To avoid unnecessary expenses, do proper background checks on your host before signing a contract.

Additionally, you have to have a strong online presence with the right quantity and quality of content that is not just relevant for your prospective customers but also for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.

Myth #3: Getting a website designed by one company is easier.

Truth: With the widespread use of outsourcing, many companies have jumped on the bandwagon to help startups and new businesses design their online stores. This is great for those who are not knowledgeable about eCommerce websites. However, it isn’t as easy as it seems in reality.

Every eCommerce site has its own unique features or requirements. This is why you need a company that is experienced in eCommerce to ensure that your website caters to the needs of your business.

The truth is hiring just one company for your online store’s design, development and maintenance will be expensive. So instead of getting ripped off by a single company, contact multiple companies and get estimates from each.

Myth #4: Holidays are the best time to launch a new eCommerce website.

Truth: While this might be true to some extent, it is not always the case with every eCommerce website. Launching your new business with a bang will be hard if you plan to do it during the holiday season.

The time needed to “introduce” your product/service, do research on your customers, and also create your online storefront can take up to 30-45 days before you are able to get the ball rolling.

Unless you are a recognized brand or product, it will be difficult for you to get noticed during the holidays as many companies are also trying to get some of that shopping-spree action. It might take a lot of costly paid ads, extra creative concepts and coupons to allow your product to get noticed. 

Timing is everything, especially when launching a new e-commerce business. This is why you should launch your eCommerce website during times of the year when there are just a few competitors.

While this will take away from the holiday season, it can help your online store become better recognized amongst your niche audience!

Myth #5: Everyone is your customer.

Truth: This idea is a huge misconception and can be dangerous for your eCommerce business.

You cannot market to EVERYONE. You need to identify your customers, understand their needs and build a relationship with them. 

Come to think of it. You are planning to sell shoes in a classroom. Does that mean you can sell your product to everyone in the room?

No! You need to narrow down your audience. (Teacher, student, etc.). Marketing to everyone comes across as desperate, which is not appealing at all and will turn away some of their customers.

The preference or need of your customers is what you need to focus on. You can’t please everyone with the same product.

Myth #6: A reputed website template designer is better than an eCommerce developer.

Truth: Here’s the thing about eCommerce websites that should be kept in mind:

There are so many fly-by-night developers today trying to build their reputation by promising their clients the world but delivering mediocre websites.

Will you settle for that? 

Just like with many other things, having a great and well-established website is not the only thing that matters. In addition, you have to have excellent developers who can ensure that your website operates seamlessly.

Also, remember that you need to stay flexible with your eCommerce website design as you might have to change it in the future. This is why you need a flexible developer to work on multiple products/services over time.

Myth # 7 – Solely relying on one platform

Truth: Don’t get wedded with just one platform. This might be tempting, but it will do more harm than good to your business in the long run.

Multiple eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce are some of the most commonly used platforms. These platforms are equally great and have their own pros and cons among their products.

Tying yourself to Etsy and Amazon, where you don’t have ownership of your own business, can also be a problem for some. However, a platform such as Shopify is the perfect solution here.

No matter which eCommerce website platform you choose, your developer will be able to create a live eCommerce website for you. This will allow you to select and combine your product images and add more features, such as toggling between products or changing templates from one interface.

Conclusion

Time to keep away from these misconceptions while starting your own eCommerce business. The golden rule in online business is don’t get indulged in speculations. Instead, have complete faith in your business decision and a solid plan to achieve the desired results.

After reading this article, we hope these myths about eCommerce don’t seem so mythic anymore! 🙂

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